Fred Tillis UMASS-Amherst Music Department Music Theory and Composition 1971-1997

Fredrick C. Tillis (1930 -) was born in Galveston, Texas and was raised by his mother, Zelma Berneice Tillis Gardner, and his stepfather, General Gardner as well as his maternal grandparents, Willie Tillis and Jessie Tillis Hubbard.

Fred Tillis’s first musical experiences were provided to him by his mother, Zelma, who played piano and sang to Fred as a child. Later, at George Washington Carver Elementary School, Fred Tillis decided to join the school’s drum and bugle corps where Fred was introduced to the trumpet, Fred Tillis found his first professional job as a musician in jazz bands when he was twelve years old, earning him the nickname “Baby Tillis”. Fred Tillis’ band director, Fleming S. Huff at Central Side High School suggested that young Fred to start playing the saxophone.

In 1946, Fred Tillis enrolled at Wiley College on a music scholarship, and became the first person in his family to receive a college education.

Fred graduated from Wiley College in 1949 at the age of 19 years with a B.A. in music, and accepted the position of Wiley College Band Director upon graduation.

Fred left Willey College in 1951 when Fred enrolled in University of Iowa for post graduate music studies where Fred received a M.A. in Music Composition.

After Fred was awarded an M.A. in Music Composition at the University of Iowa, Fred

enlisted in the United States Air Force and became director of the 356th Air Force Band. After leaving the Air Force, Fred returned to the University of Iowa to finish his doctoral studies where Fred was awarded a Ph.D. in Music Composition in 1963.

Dr. Fred Tillis then held a succession of academic positions at Wiley College, Grambling College, and Kentucky State University.

Dr. Fred Tillis became a member of the UMASS-Amherst Music Department from 1970-1997 where Dr. Tillis served with great distinction teaching Music Theory, Music Composition, and a course in the history of Afro-American Music & Musicians.

Dr. Fred Tillis was appointed Director of the UMASS-Amherst Fine Arts Center in 1978, helping to jump start some of the most successful arts initiatives UMASS-Amherst has ever seen, including the the Afro American Music and Jazz program, the New World Theater, Augusta Savage Gallery, Asian Arts and Culture Program, and Jazz in July.

The Author of this essay was an instrumental performance major as well as instrumental music education major between 1967 and 1972. By the time Dr. Tillis became a member of the UMASS-Amherst Music Department Faculty in 1970, this Author had completed or was in the process of completing his Music Theory and Music Composition courses with both Professor’s Charles Fussell and Dr. Robert Stern. Consequently, this Author never took any courses under the direction of Dr. Tillis.

However, Dr. Tillis had a very affable outgoing personality and enjoyed attending student instrumental musical performances. Dr. Tillis attended most, if not all of this Author’s student trumpet recitals as well as brass ensemble performances at UMASS-Amherst between 1970-1972. And, Dr. Tillis always told this Author that he enjoyed listening to this Author’s student performance recitals.

Although the course was not offered until at least 1973, this Author would have enjoyed taking a jazz composition course under the instruction of Dr. Fred Tillis.

Fred Tillis was a prolific composer and his efforts in this regard include more than 125

compositions and commissions, spanning both jazz and classical European traditions in various media – orchestral, jazz, instrumental, choral, chamber music, and vocal works. Melodic and harmonic textures reflect elements of various musics of the world, including Asian and Western cultures, as well as natural outgrowths of his ethnic and cultural background.

The Music Department at UMASS-Amherst was very fortunate to attract and maintain the services of such an outstanding instructor of Music Theory and Composition as Dr. Fred Tillis from 1970-1997.

For more of the Author’s personal observations about Dr. Fred Tillis, see Philip Bezanson.

For more general information about Dr. Fred Tillis see:

• • UMASS Bio
  • Composer.com
  • Wikipedia